Occupational Employment and Wages, May 2011

47-2152 Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters

Assemble, install, alter, and repair pipelines or pipe systems that carry water, steam, air, or other liquids or gases. May install heating and cooling equipment and mechanical control systems. Includes sprinklerfitters.


National estimates for this occupation
Industry profile for this occupation
Geographic profile for this occupation

National estimates for this occupation: Top

Employment estimate and mean wage estimates for this occupation:

Employment (1) Employment
RSE (3)
Mean hourly
wage
Mean annual
wage (2)
Wage RSE (3)
349,320 1.1 % $24.92 $51,830 0.5 %

Percentile wage estimates for this occupation:

Percentile 10% 25% 50%
(Median)
75% 90%
Hourly Wage $13.61 $17.33 $22.96 $31.15 $39.57
Annual Wage (2) $28,310 $36,050 $47,750 $64,790 $82,310


Industry profile for this occupation: Top

Industries with the highest published employment and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all industries with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.

Industries with the highest levels of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Building Equipment Contractors 240,120 14.69 $25.19 $52,390
Nonresidential Building Construction 17,520 2.69 $26.81 $55,770
Utility System Construction 14,250 3.59 $23.04 $47,910
Local Government (OES Designation) 12,980 0.23 $23.06 $47,970
Ship and Boat Building 5,910 4.77 $21.43 $44,570

Industries with the highest concentration of employment in this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Building Equipment Contractors 240,120 14.69 $25.19 $52,390
Ship and Boat Building 5,910 4.77 $21.43 $44,570
Natural Gas Distribution 5,090 4.69 $25.78 $53,630
Utility System Construction 14,250 3.59 $23.04 $47,910
Water, Sewage and Other Systems 1,530 3.22 $21.99 $45,740

Top paying industries for this occupation:

Industry Employment (1) Percent of industry employment Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Steel Product Manufacturing from Purchased Steel 200 0.37 $32.07 $66,710
Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution 1,130 0.29 $32.01 $66,580
Foundries 120 0.10 $31.91 $66,370
Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing 40 0.01 $31.15 $64,800
Motor Vehicle Manufacturing 1,040 0.68 $30.83 $64,140


Geographic profile for this occupation: Top

States and areas with the highest published employment, location quotients, and wages for this occupation are provided. For a list of all areas with employment in this occupation, see the Create Customized Tables function.





States with the highest employment level in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Texas 29,980 2.91 1.07 $21.19 $44,080
California 29,610 2.11 0.77 $27.57 $57,350
New York 22,130 2.63 0.96 $31.85 $66,250
Florida 19,370 2.71 0.99 $18.67 $38,840
Illinois 17,090 3.07 1.13 $31.19 $64,880




States with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 1,620 5.18 1.90 $34.64 $72,050
Louisiana 8,280 4.50 1.65 $20.88 $43,440
Nebraska 3,580 3.96 1.45 $25.18 $52,370
Wyoming 1,070 3.93 1.44 $22.10 $45,970
Maryland 9,740 3.92 1.44 $27.33 $56,850




Top paying States for this occupation:

State Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Alaska 1,620 5.18 1.90 $34.64 $72,050
Massachusetts 8,740 2.77 1.02 $31.95 $66,460
New York 22,130 2.63 0.96 $31.85 $66,250
Illinois 17,090 3.07 1.13 $31.19 $64,880
New Jersey 8,200 2.17 0.80 $30.97 $64,410





Metropolitan areas with the highest employment level in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
New York-White Plains-Wayne, NY-NJ Metropolitan Division 12,180 2.41 0.88 $33.61 $69,900
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, TX 9,190 3.60 1.32 $23.56 $49,010
Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL Metropolitan Division 8,780 2.45 0.90 $31.95 $66,450
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Metropolitan Division 6,830 1.79 0.66 $28.80 $59,910
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV Metropolitan Division 6,810 2.95 1.08 $25.69 $53,430
St. Louis, MO-IL 6,560 5.16 1.90 $30.61 $63,670
Baltimore-Towson, MD 4,770 3.81 1.40 $26.36 $54,830
Nassau-Suffolk, NY Metropolitan Division 4,660 3.85 1.41 $36.53 $75,990
Dallas-Plano-Irving, TX Metropolitan Division 4,640 2.27 0.83 $21.39 $44,500
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 4,550 6.35 2.33 $20.80 $43,260




Metropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Bremerton-Silverdale, WA 730 9.31 3.42 $26.44 $55,000
Beaumont-Port Arthur, TX 1,210 7.84 2.88 $23.32 $48,510
Greeley, CO 570 7.39 2.71 $26.50 $55,120
Corpus Christi, TX 1,280 7.27 2.67 $17.97 $37,370
Baton Rouge, LA 2,480 6.97 2.56 $23.12 $48,090
Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC 4,550 6.35 2.33 $20.80 $43,260
Kokomo, IN 240 6.14 2.26 $32.55 $67,710
Pocatello, ID 200 6.12 2.25 $17.90 $37,240
Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton, NJ 350 5.97 2.19 $40.40 $84,030
Champaign-Urbana, IL 560 5.91 2.17 $31.16 $64,800




Top paying metropolitan areas for this occupation:

Metropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Vineland-Millville-Bridgeton, NJ 350 5.97 2.19 $40.40 $84,030
Nassau-Suffolk, NY Metropolitan Division 4,660 3.85 1.41 $36.53 $75,990
San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA 1,620 1.85 0.68 $36.41 $75,730
Peabody, MA NECTA Division 390 3.93 1.44 $36.14 $75,170
Madison, WI 730 2.22 0.81 $35.78 $74,420
Lake County-Kenosha County, IL-WI Metropolitan Division 760 2.07 0.76 $35.73 $74,320
Racine, WI 160 2.17 0.80 $34.82 $72,420
Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI 1,770 2.22 0.82 $34.77 $72,320
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ 310 2.33 0.86 $34.73 $72,240
Tacoma, WA Metropolitan Division 570 2.24 0.82 $34.56 $71,890

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest employment in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Kansas nonmetropolitan area 1,530 4.01 1.47 $22.01 $45,780
Balance of Lower Peninsula of Michigan nonmetropolitan area 1,130 4.09 1.50 $20.50 $42,640
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 790 6.43 2.36 $18.97 $39,460
Railbelt / Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area 760 10.62 3.90 $37.06 $77,080
Eastern Texas nonmetropolitan area 650 2.35 0.86 $20.76 $43,180

Nonmetropolitan areas with the highest concentration of jobs and location quotients in this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Railbelt / Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area 760 10.62 3.90 $37.06 $77,080
Eastern New Mexico nonmetropolitan area 790 6.43 2.36 $18.97 $39,460
Southeastern Nebraska nonmetropolitan area 280 5.89 2.16 $21.80 $45,340
Central Colorado nonmetropolitan area 110 5.39 1.98 $20.27 $42,170
Southwestern Wyoming nonmetropolitan area 320 5.27 1.93 $22.59 $46,980

Top paying nonmetropolitan areas for this occupation:

Nonmetropolitan area Employment (1) Employment per thousand jobs Location quotient (9) Hourly mean wage Annual mean wage (2)
Railbelt / Southwest Alaska nonmetropolitan area 760 10.62 3.90 $37.06 $77,080
Southeast Alaska nonmetropolitan area 50 1.49 0.55 $34.79 $72,370
Nantucket Island and Martha's Vineyard nonmetropolitan area 40 3.11 1.14 $31.55 $65,630
North Coast Region of California nonmetropolitan area 120 1.33 0.49 $30.96 $64,390
West Central North Dakota nonmetropolitan area 250 4.51 1.65 $29.79 $61,960


About May 2011 National, State, Metropolitan, and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

These estimates are calculated with data collected from employers in all industry sectors, all metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas, and all states and the District of Columbia. The top employment and wage figures are provided above. The complete list is available in the downloadable XLS files.

The percentile wage estimate is the value of a wage below which a certain percent of workers fall. The median wage is the 50th percentile wage estimate--50 percent of workers earn less than the median and 50 percent of workers earn more than the median. More about percentile wages.


(1) Estimates for detailed occupations do not sum to the totals because the totals include occupations not shown separately. Estimates do not include self-employed workers.

(2) Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly mean wage by a "year-round, full-time" hours figure of 2,080 hours; for those occupations where there is not an hourly mean wage published, the annual wage has been directly calculated from the reported survey data.

(3) The relative standard error (RSE) is a measure of the reliability of a survey statistic. The smaller the relative standard error, the more precise the estimate.

(9) The location quotient is the ratio of the area concentration of occupational employment to the national average concentration. A location quotient greater than one indicates the occupation has a higher share of employment than average, and a location quotient less than one indicates the occupation is less prevalent in the area than average.


Other OES estimates and related information:

May 2011 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 State Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

May 2011 National Industry-Specific Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates

List of Occupations in SOC Code Number Order

List of Occupations in Alphabetical Order

Download May 2011 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates in Zipped XLS files

Technical Notes

 

Last Modified Date: March 27, 2012